September purchases - YouLookFab Forum

September was a divers month where I purchased an essential, a statement piece and a completer. That was the first half of the month... The second half I changed direction after my pinboard fantasies were shattered by reality ;).

First, new acquisitions. The tee is a style I already own in 4 other colors – it’s cheap, flattering, drapes well, and is made of very soft Tencel jersey. When I noticed it had become available in light blue I picked it up as a perfect complement to my pleated skirt purchased this spring. It is already packed away for next summer though.

The booties have had their own separate post (https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....ch-booties). I’m very happy with them but will refrain from further shopping out of season as I almost forgot to truly take rainy & icy conditions into account when pondering which pair to keep.

The other pair of shoes are a true indulgence. I was browsing the Clarks website (possibly my favorite shoe brand) for sales and noticed these metallic brogues on substantial discount. I don’t NEED these shoes and with Covid, I may not even have any occasion to wear them this year, BUT I have been drawn to this style for many years now, always foregoing the purchase as being too frivolous and too much of a side note in my general style. Seeing brogues, and especially this slim style with the low but refined heel, becoming ever less available, urged me to pounce when I still could. The bronze color has been on my radar, albeit low priority, for a long time too, as inspired by Janet.

Then after I put together my post on things I was eyeing for fall (https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....fallwinter), I got serious FOMO and went into town to try a few things on. The lilac cardigan most of you liked as much as I did, looked fluffy and soft in the pic. In reality it was heavy, plasticky looking and most of all, itchy.

I'm not liking the idea of going into b&m stores for cardigan shopping right now and feeling guilty everytime I touch fabric. But I have rediscovered a second-hand resale app (European Vinted) where I'm eyeing some great options at sweet price points. Last time I used this was not a succes (bought a 'fun' blazer I never wore), so this time I'm being extra careful evaluating possible purchases. Still, any mistake there will be cheaper and less taxing for the environment I figure.

Anyone here fond of shopping ebay and the likes? Any tips for shopping non-returnable second-hand e-tailers?

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4 years ago

nemosmom

Veteran

Aww, sorry to hear the lilac cardi was a bust. But, you had some great winners! I love the neckline and fluidity of that top, and those brogues and boots are fantastic!!

I have been buying secondhand online for a while. For sites that don't offer returns, I would advise you to ask the seller lots of questions! Don't be afraid to ask for more measurements or photos than provided. If it's an older piece, ask how it has been stored. I picked up some sweaters and jackets last month, and one sweater arrived in a stench of mothballs!

SarahD8

Nice picks! I absolutely love/covet those brogues but they don’t appear to be available in the US. *sob*

Most of my clothing purchases these days are made on eBay (and a few on Poshmark). My advice:

*do not buy unless you know the measurements of an item. You can compare to an item you already own to predict how it will fit.
*knits are easier/more reliable than woven garments (because the fit is a bit more forgiving due to stretch).
*skirts are easier than pants. That said, I’ve successfully bought pants secondhand online too!
*to start out, it can be good to focus on brands that you know fit you well. (Still get measurements though!!!)
*i very rarely buy something right away. Occasionally a particularly desirable item at a super good price will get snapped up immediately, but at least on eBay there is just so much stuff available that you have time to think it over. Sometimes I’ll come back and look again at an item and realize that it isn’t quite the color/cut/etc that I made it out to be when I first saw it (my brain has a habit of projecting the characteristics I’m looking for onto an item...not always accurately, if that makes sense).
*even with care, not all purchases will work out. Maybe the pics didn’t give an accurate sense of the color, or there’s something off about the cut that wasn’t captured in basic measurements. It happens and I really don’t think there’s a way around it. You just have to think of it as part of the cost of shopping this way. But you might be able to resell it and recoup some of what you spent.

Minaminu

great purchases! I am sorry it didn't work out with the lilac cardi, I think it was from &otherstories, right? I am getting a bit frustrated with them as the designs are lovely but the materials as often hit and miss...
I often buy from Ebay, Videdressing or even Vestiaire Collective, sometimes I even sell on those platform. This year I bought 6 preloved pieces and I am planning to buy more preloved items next year for environmental reasons - planning to learn the tricks and buy the majority of the items as preloved!
Having said that, I am very selective and careful in the description and check the pictures. I may be a pain, but I often ask for more information (dimensions, or pic of the label showing the material) and if I am not sure, I don't purchase them.

slim cat

Pretty shoes/boots and tee - especially metallic brogues!
No advice on eBay and such but I was checking it out - may try in the future.

Liesbeth

Thanks Nemosmom, Sarah and Minaminu! Excellent advice there! I think I AM learning as I also tend to project my wishes unto a garment... but there will always be doubts because fit and fabric blend are so very unpredictable, as the cardigan story proved.
Thanks slimcat, I think the brogues will be one of those items that get fewer wear butwill give me great joy when I do wear em, if that makes sense.

rachylou

Ooh! I like that tee!

Joy

Stick to items you own and know fit, the. You will be more confident that you are ordering the right size.
Read all the reviews and question the seller on measurements, fabric content or and possible alterations. (I have ordered what I know is the right size only to get the garment and find out it was cut shorter or something)
Often the reviews will give clues to the sizing of the brand or construction quality or fabric wear ( itchy or soft) or how it comes out of washer and dryer ( does it shrink or need to be ironed.)
Remember that the color may look different in real life than on a screen.

Mary

Active Member

I have had a few duds on Poshmark and it is very disappointing. I too have learned to ask questions.

If someone ignores questions from me and others I lose interest
in the items quickly.
But the few amazing deals I have got, especially on Eileen fisher things, makes up for the disappointments. I can’t afford her stuff new and have got some great bargains. I know they will hold their value and I can’t take them to a consignment store when I am ready for a change.

Bijou

I love your new purchases, the colour of the new t shirt is lovely. For me, online shopping is very hard and living in Australia, makes it expensive and has a bad environmental impact in shipping across the globe, so I try to avoid it and buy locally, but I am lucky with no community covid-19 transmission in my State.

For knits, I have bought from Boden and JCrew who provide good discounts and good after sale service and I will buy a number of items, to try and make the shipping environmental cost less onerous.

It's nice isn't it, Rachylou!
Thanks Joy, for more great tips. Researching the brand, even if it is higher end, sounds sensible!
Mary, you too! I have searched for favorite brands too. Too bad I don't know of any brand that makes only winners ;).
Bijou, looks like you found a good approach. I do wonder though, what you Australians mean when you say shopping locally? Here in Europe many of the global brands (but by no means all of the American ones) have a 'local' warehouse somewhere on the continent. Shipping and returns can still be free... for smaller brand though, not often and then returning across country borders becomes prohibitively expensive.

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